The Bible says – speaking of Jesus – that He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:11-12)

Receiving Jesus Christ makes all the difference. Doing so results in the forgiveness of sins, the cancellation of our sin debt to God, the removal of condemnation and guilt, the bestowal of the gift of eternal life, inclusion in the family of God, and the assurance that we are God

*s children.

Here

*s how you can make that all-important, life-changing decision.

There are Some Basic Truths You Must Understand

You must understand the reality of sin and of its terrible penalty

.

Paul writes that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), while James records the path of sin as follows: after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:15)

Once you realize that sin pays wages, and that your own sins have earned those wages for you, you*re ready to begin the journey toward Jesus Christ and salvation.

You must also understand that God does not will your death in sin, but wishes with all His heart that you might be saved.

According to Peter: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) And, according to Paul, God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4-5)

Armed with this knowledge you*re ready to approach God with the assurance that He will hear you and will not turn you away.

Finally, you must understand that Jesus Christ came to this earth and died on the cross to save you from your sins.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

For what I received 1 passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Once you know that Jesus is the only means of salvation, and that nothing but His death on the cross can pay for your sins, you are ready to approach Him and ask for His forgiveness.

Now There Are Some Simple Steps That You Must Take

First, you must admit your sin and your need of salvation.

The Scriptures tells us that all have sinned andfall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) As much as we would like to argue that this statement does not include us, we cannot, for the Bible allows no exemptions – all of us, each one without exception, is guilty of sin. The argument is clenched with this statement: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who under-stands, no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11)

When you admit the fact that you*ve sinned, and when you realize that all of your efforts at being good are not good enough – that you can do nothing to save yourself – then you*re ready to talk to Jesus. He can do what you cannot.

The first step toward salvation is to simply agree with God and say, "Yes, Lord, that means me. I admit that I am a sinner and that I need your forgiveness and salvation."

Second, you must believe that Jesus Christ is able to save you.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.(1 Thessalonians 5:9)

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24)

Jesus is able to save you from the wrath that your sins have earned by redeeming you (buying you back from sin*s power and control) with His death on the cross. Your part is to accept what He has done and to believe that His death is sufficient to pay for all your sins. That*s what the Bible means when it talks about faith: Faith is believing that Jesus will do what He promises, that He will save you when you ask Him to.

The second step toward salvation is to ask Jesus to save you. It is to say, "Lord Jesus, I ask for your forgiveness. I ask you to cancel my debt of sin, to set me free from sin*s penalty and to deliver me from sin*s guilt."

Third, you must invite Jesus to enter your life.

Jesus Himself offers this invitation: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. (Revelation 3:20)

Jesus is standing at the door of your heart right now. He is knocking and asking to come in. You can trust Jesus to do what He promises. Open your life to Him and invite Him to come in. That is exactly what He will do. Say to Him, "Jesus, I ask you at this moment to come into my heart. I receive you as my Savior, and I acknowledge you as Lord."

Fourth, along with Jesus you must receive His gift of eternal life.

The first half of the verse we examined earlier is bad news. But the second half is the best good news anyone could ever hear. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

The gift of eternal life exists in a person — Jesus Christ. When you receive Him you also receive the gift. Open your heart to Him, and the gift is your*s to keep forever. Say to Him, "Jesus, I thank you for coming into my heart and for giving me eternal life. From this moment forward I am a new person with a new life. With your help, I will live for you."

It may seem too simple, but that*s all there is to it. If you understand these simple truths, and if you embrace them by faith, you will be saved.

The simple prayer that we*ve broken down into parts for you is all that*s required. All you must do is mean it and believe it. Jesus will do the rest.

Perhaps you would like to pray that simple prayer in its entirety right now. There*s no good reason why you shouldn’t, is there? And there*s one very good reason why you should: It will change your life forever.

"Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and that I need your forgiveness and salvation. I ask for your forgiveness. I ask you to cancel my debt of sin, to set me free from sin*s penalty and to deliver me from sin*s guilt. I ask you at this moment to come into my heart. Jesus, I receive you as my Savior, and I acknowledge you as Lord. And now I thank you for coming into my heart and for giving me eternal life. From this moment forward I am a new person with a new life. With your help, I will live for you."

Jesus does not lie. He promises to come into your heart when you ask Him to, and if you sincerely prayed that prayer, He*s in your heart right now.That means that your sins have been forgiven and that He has canceled sins debt and delivered you from the penalty of death. Even now you have eternal life at work within you. You are now a child of God and have an eternal home in heaven waiting for you.

Here*s the reality of the decision you*ve just made: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-11)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) You are now IN CHRIST, just as Christ is now in you. This wonderful new relationship began the moment you opened your life to Him. Your old life has changed forever because you are a new person on the inside. Believe it! Believe it even if you don*t feel it yet. Trust Jesus to help you live a new life – one energized with eternal life and filled with eternal possibilities.

Now, to reinforce the decision you’ve made, there are some additional steps you ought to take.

1. Share your new relationship with Jesus Christ with someone right away. Go to someone you know to be a Christian and tell them of the decision you*ve made. Ask them to pray with you and to support you in your newly found faith.

2. Find a church where the Bible is preached and where Jesus is recognized as Savior and Lord and begin to attend regularly. Share with the pastor the commitment you*ve made and ask him to help you grow in your new relationship with Jesus,

3. Get a Bible if you do not already have one, and begin to read it every day. It contains the words of Jesus and spells out the life of the Christian. Study it and follow its teachings faithfully. Ask your new Christian friends and your pastor to help you understand its message.

4. Begin to develop a consistent life of prayer. Talk to Jesus throughout each day. Ask Him to make Himself real to you and to strengthen you in your new life as a believer.

5. Begin telling others about Jesus and how He has changed — and is changing — your life. This will reinforce your faith and strengthen your commitment to Him.